dr. tony evans

DESTINY
Let God Use You Like He Made You
DR. TONY EVANS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Copyright © 2013 for Destiny: Let God Use You
Like He Made You curriculum Dr. Tony Evans
and The Urban Alternative P.O. Box 4000 Dallas,
Texas 75208.
Copyright and use of the curriculum template
is retained by Brett Eastman. Permission for use
is given to Tony Evans, The Urban Alternative
and Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in all forms of
distribution.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotes are
taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD
BIBLE®. Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by Lockman
Foundation. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
This Bible Study is based on the concepts presented
by Dr. Tony Evans in his book Destiny: Let God
Use You LIke He Made You.
DESTINY
Copyright © 2013 by Tony Evans
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Copyright and use of the Lifetogether curriculum
template is retained by Brett Eastman. Permission
for use is given to Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban
Alternative in all forms of distribution.
CONTENTS
About The Author
Introduction to Destiny
Outline for Each Session
SESSION ONE – Overview of Destiny
SESSION TWO – Your Uniqueness & Your Destiny
SESSION THREE – Your Experiences & Your Destiny
SESSION FOUR – Your Intersections & Your Destiny
SESSION FIVE – Your Worship & Your Destiny
SESSION SIX – Your Future & Your Destiny
APPENDIX
Frequenty Asked Questions
Spiritual Partners’ Check-In Page
Small Group Roster
Personal Health Assessment
Personal Health Plan
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
Hosting an Open House
Leading for the First Time
Leadership Training 101
GROUP RESOURCES
Small Group Agreement
Small Group Calendar
Prayer and Praise Report
Teching Notes
8
1
2
3
5
17
29
41
53
65
78
80
81
82
83
85
86
87
90
91
92
93
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
DR. TONY EVANS
is one of the country’s most respected
leaders in evangelical circles. He is
a pastor, serving as the senior pastor
of the 9700-member Oak Cliff Bible
Fellowship in Dallas for over 36 years.
He is a best-selling author, with over
50 published books such as Kingdom
Man, Oneness Embraced and Victory in
Spiritual Warfare. He is an inspirational
speaker, from professional sports
arenas (former chaplain of the NFL’s
Dallas Cowboys and present chaplain
of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks) to the
international airwaves (The Alternative
with Dr. Tony Evans broadcasting daily
to more than 850 US radio outlets and
80 countries daily). He is a worldchanger, serving as the president of The
Urban Alternative, a national ministry
that seeks to restore hope and transform
lives through the proclamation and
application of the Word of God.
Finally and foundationally, he is a
devoted husband of 42 years to Lois
and loving father of four – Chrystal,
Priscilla, Anthony Jr. and Jonathan –
and grandfather of ten – Kariss, Jessica,
Jackson, Jesse III, Jerry Jr., Kanaan,
Jude, Joel, Kelsey & Jonathan II.
INTRODUCTION
Let God Use You Like He Made You
God will often take you from where you are to where He wants you to be at what can be called a divine
intersection. This is the time and situation in your life where your gifts, skills, passion, experience and
personality merge together into either the revealing of, or carrying out of, your destiny.
What many of us try to do in our lives is rush ahead to the intersection, not realizing the importance
of God’s perfect timing. Until your divine intersection comes, God is preparing you for that moment –
for the people, tasks and purpose ahead. And He is also preparing your destiny, the people and places
involved, for you. This is similar to what He did in Canaan when the Israelites entered the Promised
Land. God had already provided for the Israelites because the Canaanites had dug the wells, cultivated
the land and built the communities in that land.
Arriving at your intersection in life is a special time when you step into God’s manifest provision in your
about what you do – it will feel natural to you in many ways. In sports, we call it being “in the zone.”
As a believer, you enter the “zone” when God orchestrates your intersection – when all things merge.
When God connects your gifts, skills, experience, passion and personality into His divine destiny just
for you.
Friend, if you learn anything at all from this Bible study about reaching your destiny – learn this: Don’t
go searching for your destiny. Go searching for your God. Because it is in locating God amidst the
ordinary things that He may have you doing now that you will watch Him intersect them into the
responsibilities and attach those routine responsibilities to Him. When you loop God into your routine,
the natural becomes the supernatural.
You discover your destiny when the natural merges with the Divine. What is even better, is that you
will discover that God can even use the weaknesses, or what you might consider the faults, in your life
for His purpose. He merges all things together for good when you love Him and walk in His destiny for
you.
I’m excited that you have chosen to pursue your destiny through this Bible study. May God grant you
favor and insight as you seek Him and His will for your life.
For the King and His Kingdom,
Dr. Tony Evans
Spring 2013
1
2
OUTLINE OF EACH SESSION
Most people want to live a healthy,
balanced spiritual life, but few achieve
this by themselves. And most small
groups struggle to balance all of God’s
purposes in their meetings. Groups tend
to overemphasize one of the various
reasons for meeting. Rarely is there a
healthy balance that includes teaching,
evangelism, ministry, practical exercises
and worship. That’s why we’ve included
all of these elements in this study so you
can live a healthy, balanced spiritual life
over time.
DVD TEACHING SEGMENT.
Serving as a companion to the Destiny small
group discussion book is the Destiny video
teaching. This DVD is designed to combine
teaching segments from Dr. Tony Evans along
with leadership insights and personal stories of
destiny discoveries. This DVD study has been
designed to enhance the entire small group
experience. Using the teaching video will add
value to this six week commitment of doing life
together and discovering how knowing your
destiny changes everything.
A typical group session for Destiny will include
the following:
STORY.
The lessons we will learn during Destiny are
best illustrated in the lives of real people. Each
session will begin with a summary of someone’s
story and the video presentation during the
LISTEN.
3
of life’s destiny can ultimately be measured as
DEEPER STUDY.
If you want to dig deeper into more Bible
passages about the topic at hand, we’ve
provided additional passages and questions.
Your group may choose to do study homework
ahead of each meeting in order to cover more
biblical material. If you prefer not to do study
homework, the “Deeper Study” section will
provide you with plenty to discuss within the
group. These options allow individuals or the
whole group to go deeper in their study, while
still accom¬modating those who cannot do
homework or are new to your group.
LIVE.
their story.
As in, listen to God and each other’s lives. The
foundation for spiritual growth is an intimate
connection with God and His family. A few
people who really know you and who earn your
trust provide a place to experience the life Jesus
invites you to live. Discovering your destiny
will involve others! This section of each session
typically offers you two options. You can get to
know your whole group by using the icebreaker
question(s) or you can check in with one or two
group members—your spiritual partner(s)—for a
deeper connection and encouragement in your
spiritual journey.
LOVE OTHERS / LOVE GOD.
As in, love the Lord your God and your neighbor
LEARN.
As in, learn from God’s Word and each other.
Here is where you come face-to-face with
Scripture. In core passages you will explore
what the Bible teaches about the topic of the
study. The focus will not be on accumulating
information but on how we should live in light
of the Word of God. We want to help you apply
the Scriptures practically, creatively and equally
from your heart and your head. At the end of
the day, allowing the timeless truths from God’s
Word to transform our lives in Christ is our
greatest aim.
As in, live out the truth you just learned. Here
is where the Bible urging us to “be doers of the
Word, not just hearers” comes into play. Many
people skip over this aspect of the Christian
life because it is scary, relationally awkward or
simply too much work for their busy schedules.
But Jesus wanted all of His disciples to help
outsiders connect with Him, to know Him
personally and to carry out His commands.
This doesn’t necessarily mean preaching on
street corners. It could mean welcoming a few
newcomers into your group, hosting a shortterm group in your home or walking through this
study with a friend. In this study, you will have an
opportunity to go beyond Bible study to biblical
living.
line” commandments: “The foremost,” answered
Jesus, “is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God
is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind, and with all your
strength.’ “The second is this, ‘ you shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.” (Mark
12:29–31). The group session will close with time
for personal response to God and group prayer,
seeking to keep this crucial commandment
before us at all times.
STUDY NOTES.
This section provides background notes on the
Bible passage(s) you examined in the “Deeper
Study” section. You may want to refer to these
notes during your group meeting or as a
reference when doing additional study.
DAILY REFLECTIONS.
meetings. We suggest you use this section to seek
out God on your own throughout the week. This
time at home should begin and end with prayer.
Do not get in a hurry; take enough time to hear
God’s direction.
WEEKLY MEMORY VERSES.
Under the heading of each session we have
provided a “Weekly Memory Verse” that
emphasizes an important truth from the session.
This is an optional exercise, but we believe that
our minds with God’s will for our lives. We
encourage you to give this important habit a try.
4
ONE
OVERVIEW OF DESTINY
“
For David, after he had served
the purpose of God in his own
generation, fell asleep, and
was laid among his fathers,
and underwent decay.” (Acts 13.36)
Purpose. Calling. Destiny. Who would not want
that? But destiny means different things to different
people. That’s why we need to start with a shared
understanding of what we mean by “destiny” in
include the Maker of life. Since life was God’s
idea and creation, it makes sense to assume that
He would be the ultimate source of wisdom
regarding how life was designed to be lived.
This session will focus on the early clues to destiny
that are already part of your life and how you
cannot really get very far in coming to a practical
understanding of your destiny until you come
face-to-face with your Creator. In a world that tries
to tell us every day that we get to write our own
script in life and we “can be anything we want to
be”, it is refreshing to stop and consider that the
world’s message isn’t the whole truth by a long
shot! Until God weighs in on the discussion, we
are only looking at puzzle pieces of life that leave
us puzzled. God puts the whole picture together.
5
6
LISTEN
Open your group with
prayer. Not everyone will feel
comfortable praying out loud
or without a supplied text,
but encourage the group to
sit quietly and invite at least
one person to ask God for His
enlightening presence as you
spend time together.
As you begin, take time to pass around a copy
of the Small Group Roster on page 81 or use
a sheet of paper. Have everyone write down
their contact information. Ask someone to
make copies or type up a list with everyone’s
information and email it to the group this week.
What have turned out to be some of the
1 biggest
decisions of your life? You may not
have realized it at the time, but certain
choices have changed everything. What
have they been?
2 When you think about destiny, who is the
have a clear understanding of their destiny?
What makes you think this?
7
your group
3 Whether
is new or ongoing, it
is always important to
your values together.
On page 90 is a Small
Group Agreement with
the values we’ve found
most useful in sustaining
healthy, balanced groups.
We recommend that
you choose one or two
values—ones you haven’t
previously focused on or
have room to grow in—to
emphasize during this
study. Choose ones that
will take your group to the
next stage of intimacy and
spiritual health.
If your group is new, you may
want to focus on welcoming
newcomers or on sharing
group ownership. Any group
will quickly move from being
the leader’s group to our
group if everyone understands
the goals of the group and
shares a small role. See the
Team Roles in the Appendix
for help on how to do this
well.
We recommend that you rotate host homes
on a regular basis and let the hosts lead the
meeting. We’ve come to realize that healthy
groups rotate leadership. This helps to develop
every member’s ability to shepherd a few people
in a safe environment. Even Jesus gave others
the opportunity to serve alongside Him (Mark
6:30–44). Look at the FAQs in the Appendix for
additional information about hosting or leading
the group.
Watch the DVD
teaching for this
session now. We have
provided Teaching
Notes on page 93.
There you can record
any key thoughts, questions and things you
want to remember or follow-up on. After
watching the video, have someone read the
discussion questions in the Learn section
and direct the discussion among the group.
As you go through each of the subsequent
sections, ask someone else to read the
questions and direct the discussion.
8
LEARN
Much of what Dr. Evans has
to say in this opening session
revolves around a brief
comment about one of the
greatest figures in the Old
Testament, King David: “For
David, after he had served
the purpose of God in his own
generation, fell asleep, and
was laid among his fathers,
and underwent decay” (Acts
13:36).
Those words were said by the
Apostle Paul, preaching to a
mixed audience of Jews and
Gentiles in the city of Antioch
in the country of Pisidia. But
he knew his hearers would
understand what he meant. It
would be like us referring to
George Washington as one of
the founders of our country.
His life is part of the record of
history. We can see the effects
of such a life because it “served
the purpose of God” in its
generation and we still see the
effects today.
DEEPER STUDY
4
Dr. Evans gave us a detailed
teaching: “Destiny is your
customized life calling, for
which God has equipped
and ordained you, in order
to bring Him the greatest
glory and the maximum
expansion of His kingdom.”
How would you summarize
this in your own words?
5
What words in that
challenging for you to
understand? Share them with
the group and we’ll work
together at understanding
them. Here’s one to start
with: what does “ordained”
mean? Any other challenging
words?
did you understand Dr.
6 How
Evans’ statement: “Destiny
always begns with God’s
place in your life”?
9
7
Dr. Evans used the story of
Hank Aaron and Yogi Berra
to remind us that we need to
be mindful of what “voices”
we are listening to. What are
some of the voices that try
them? How do you identify
a trustworthy voice?
Read Acts 13:13–41. This is the transcript of
Paul’s sermon in Antioch. This is not the most
famous Antioch (Syria) in the New Testament,
but one of the stops on Paul’s first missionary
journey in the middle of modern day Turkey.
Here, as everywhere, he started his ministry
in a new place by visiting the local Jewish
synagogue where there were Jews and Gentile
converts worshipping the God of Abraham.
How does verse 17 make a similar point about
God’s purposes as Paul makes about David later
in the message?
8 session, what are some of
into shaping or clarifying
someone’s destiny?
Verses 19, 20 and 21 all use the word “gave” in
a way that points to God’s purposes. How?
How does verse 22 emphasize Paul’s statement
about David’s destiny in verse 36?
on this statement
9 Comment
by Dr. Evans: “When you’re
attached to God, you’re
attached to something
bigger, so that everything
God does with, in, to and
through you becomes
attractive for His kingdom”?
Verses 24-25 summarize John the Baptist’s
impact. How did he understand his own
destiny?
This sermon is really about the destiny of Jesus.
How does Paul show God’s plan and purpose
in Jesus’ life in these verses, particularly in his
conclusion in verses 38–39?
10
LIVE
If destiny is ultimately
confirmed by the way we live
before God and others, then
destiny and God’s purposes
are intended as the best way
to relate to others within our
capacities and opportunities.
Wisdom is how we use what
God has given us to make the
most in service of Him and
others.
10
Developing our ability to serve God
according to the leading of the Holy Spirit
takes time and persistence in getting to
know our Lord. We must take time in
prayer, in God’s Word and in meditation,
to let God speak to us daily. Which of the
following next steps are you willing to
take for the next few weeks?
Prayer. Commit to personal prayer and daily
write your prayers in a journal.
Meditation. Try meditation as a way of
internalizing God’s Word more deeply. Copy
a portion of Scripture on a card and tape it
somewhere in your line of sight, such as your
car’s dashboard or the kitchen table. Think about
it when you sit at red lights or while you’re
to you through these words. Several passages
for meditation are suggested on the Daily
Evans used Psalm 90:12 to show us
11 Dr.
the way our destiny unfolds as we depend
on God to reveal Himself and His plans
throughout our lives: “So teach us to
number our days, that we may present
to Thee a heart of wisdom.” How does
this prayer speak into your desire to
understand more clearly your destiny?
LOVE OTHERS
The destiny God has in mind for
us will always include others.
The more we understand the
way God has put us together,
the more we can begin to see
how He can impact the lives of
others through us.
12 life who would be impacted the most by
changes that might occur as a result of
your understanding God’s plans for your
destiny during these sessions:
1
2
3
4
5
Below each name write one aspect of
your relationship you would like to see
improve during the next few weeks as
evidence that you are living out your
destiny with them.
in each session are an opportunity to read a
for the course of this study. Write down your
insights on what you read each day. On the
sixth day summarize what God has shown you
throughout the week.
11
12
LOVE GOD
STUDY NOTES
The memory verse for this session is Acts 13:36.
It is included on the first page of this lesson.
This verse includes a statement about David
we hope will be said about our lives, too.
Living wisely into our destiny means ultimately
surrendering our understanding of life in favor
of God’s understanding. Loving God means we
trust Him enough to depend on Him in every
way. As you seek to grow in wisdom, share the
following actions with your group as a way of
practicing a destiny-oriented life.
When Paul showed up in a new town, he always began his ministry in the local Jewish
synagogue. He could assume a certain amount of common ground with the people
who gathered there. They had a shared destiny. They were all natural or adopted
members of Abraham’s family and looked at the history of the people of God as their
own history.
Paul’s objective was always two-fold: first, to remind his listeners of God’s great
worksand plans and second, to tell them the Good News that God’s plans had been
fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Allow everyone to answer this question:
13 “How
can we pray for you this week?”
Be sure to write prayer requests on your
Prayer and Praise Report on page 92.
14 Spend a few minutes worshiping God
together. Here are two ideas:
Have someone use their musical gifts to lead
the group in a worship song. Try singing a
cappella, using a worship CD, or have someone
accompany your singing with a musical
instrument.
Read a passage of Scripture together. Make it a
time of praise and worship as the words remind
you of all God has done for you. Choose a
psalm or other favorite verse.
Every believer should have a plan for
15 spending
time alone with God. At the
end of each session we provide Daily
daily time with Him. These will offer
reinforcement of the principles we are
learning, and develop or strengthen your
habit of time alone with God throughout
the week.
13
14
1
2
DAILY
“Therefore everyone who hears these
words of Mine, and acts upon them,
may be compared to a wise man, who
built his house on the rock.”
(Matthew 7:24)
“He has made everything appropriate in
its time. He has also set eternity in their
the work which God has done from the
beginning even to the end.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
3
“So teach us to number our days,
that we may present to You a heart of
wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children
to anger, but bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
(Ephesians 6:4)
5
“Therefore as you have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having
built up in Him and established in your
faith, just as you were instructed, and
REFLECTIONS
How would you explain the connection
between Jesus’ words and the discovery
and practice of destiny in a person’s
life?
How did Solomon describe the
importance of God in un derstanding
destiny?
How do you think a deep respect for
the brevity of life helps us develop a
sensitivity to destiny?
Dr. Evans talked about the aspect of
destiny that is intergenerational. How
has your family shaped your destiny?
In what ways is the attitude of gratitude
a direct result of understanding and
living out your God-given destiny?
(Colossians 2:6-7)
6
15
Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put on your heart and
mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your Daily
16
LIVE
Destiny has been an all-toobrief encounter with some
amazing lessons from the
Bible. But we would be missing
the boat if we thought that
the same God who wrote
this amazing book could not
write as an amazing story in
our lives. Hopefully our times
together have been a real
encouragement for you to
endure in the unique journey of
life in which God has promised
to walk with you toward your
destiny.
would you describe the impact
11 How
of these Bible lessons on your thought
patterns and responses about the present
and future over the weeks we have been
meeting?
Review your Small Group Agreement on page
90 and evaluate how well you met your goals.
Discuss any changes you want to make as you
move forward. As your group starts a new
study this is a great time to take on a new role
or change roles of service in your group. What
new role will you take on? If you are uncertain,
maybe your group members have some ideas for
you. Remember you are not making a life long
commitment to the new role; it will only be for a
few weeks. Maybe someone would like to share
a role with you if you do not feel ready to serve
solo.
LOVE OTHERS
Very few Christians can
honestly claim to be solitary
successes in spiritual growth
or confidence about their
destiny. Obviously, we do
not even become Christians
without God’s direct, gracious
intervention on our behalf.
There are no self-made believers. The impact
of a small group experience, if we will let it,
reminds us that we share a lot in common with
insight into what God is doing in our lives by
loving others enough to observe what He is
doing in their lives!
13 What examples can you think of from the
experiences, worship or your uniqueness,
in one way or another) that you learned
from and responded differently to in the
company of this group?
If your group still needs to make decisions
12 about
continuing to meet after this session,
have that discussion now. Talk about what
you will study, who will lead and where
and when you will meet.
71
72
STUDY NOTES
In what instances have you been able to
14 join
someone outside this group as they
experienced a destiny moment, knowing
you had prayer and companionship backup in this group?
15
The following reminders can be helpful in recognizing, as Dr. Evans put it, that the
great promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is right in the middle of a bad chapter that is part of
a sad book!
When we look at our lives at any point, there may well be a temptation to conclude
that we are in a bad chapter or even that our existence is a sad book. And if we
leave God out of the equation, we may be doomed to a hopeless outlook. Below are
several statements Dr. Evans made related to Jeremiah 29:11-14 that also relate to
our lives:
Based on everything you have thought
about in these sessions, what would you
say it means to thrive in the Christian life
toward a God-pleasing destiny?
LOVE GOD
As often as we think of loving God as an
individual response, expressing that love and
experiencing His immediate response actually
occurs regularly in the company of other
Christians. Do not overlook the following
opportunities to practice time-honored ways
for believers to tangibly express their love for
God and love for one another.
t*O+FSFNJBITDPOUFYUIFTBXGBNJMJFTGSBZFEUIFFDPOPNZJODSJTJTTQJSJUVBMMJWFTB
disaster, but God had a plan.
16
Close by praying for your prayer requests
and take a couple of minutes to review the
praises you have recorded over the past
on page 92. Thank God for what He has
done in your group during this study.
t/PNBUUFSXIBUZPVSTJUVBUJPOJUJTOPUPWFS:PVBSFTUJMMIFSFTPJT(PE
t%SJWJOHXJUIZPVSFZFTPOUIFSFBSWJFXNJSSPSXJMMMFBEUPDSBTIFTQVSTVJOHEFTUJOZ
driving with your eyes forward with only short glances behind you, will prevent you
from being held hostage to the rear-view mirror of the past.
t(PETQMBOTBSFMJLFBOBDUJWF(14VOJUUIFZSFDBMJCSBUFBGUFSFWFSZXSPOHUVSO5IF
destination has not changed. God still has our future destiny in view.
t'JOJTIXFMM0VSMJWFTDBOBMXBZTCFCFUUFSBUUIFFOEUIBOUIFZXFSFBUUIFTUBSUXJUI
God’s help.
73
74
APPENDIX
PERSONAL HEALTH PLAN
Purpose
Plan
WHO are you connecting with spiritually?
Connect
WHAT is your next step for growth?
Grow
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
SMALL GROUP
LEADERS
WHERE are you serving?
Develop
WHEN are you shepherding another in Christ?
Share
HOW are you surrendering your heart?
Surrender
Date
83
My Progress
Partner’s Progress
84
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
HOSTING AN OPEN HOUSE
Finally, set an open chair (maybe two) in
the center of your group and explain that it
from this group but who isn’t here yet. Ask
people to pray about whom they could invite
to join the group over the next few weeks.
Hand out postcards and have everyone write an
invitation or two. Don’t worry about ending up
with too many people; you can always have one
discussion circle in the living room and another
in the dining room after you watch the lesson.
Each group could then report prayer requests and
progress at the end of the session.
You can skip this kick-off meeting if your time is
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
LEAD I N G FO R THE F I RST TIM E
says God is gracious to the humble. Remember
who is in control; if you feel inadequate, that
is probably a good sign. Those who are soft
in heart (and sweaty palmed) are those whom
God is sure to speak through.
close friend to pray for you and prepare with
you before the session. Walking through the
study will help you anticipate potentially
into who you are and how God wants you to
uniquely lead the study.
you take the time to connect with each other in
this way.
If you’re starting a new group, try planning an
meeting. Even if you only have two to four core
members, it’s a great way to break the ice and
to consider prayerfully who else might be open
to join you over the next few weeks. You can
also use this kick-off meeting to hand out study
guides, spend some time getting to know each
other, discuss each person’s expectations for the
A simple meal or good desserts always make a
kick-off meeting more fun. After people introduce
themselves and share how they ended up being
at the meeting (you can play a game to see who
has the wildest story!), have everyone respond
to a few icebreaker questions: “What is your
favorite family vacation?” or “What is one thing
you love about your church/our community?” or
“What are three things about your life growing
up that most people here don’t know?” Next, ask
everyone to tell what he or she hopes to get out
of the study. You might want to review the Small
Group Agreement and talk about each person’s
expectations and priorities.
85
session several times. If you are using the DVD,
listen to the teaching segment and Leadership
Lifter. Go to
and
journal or fasting for a day to prepare yourself
for what God wants to do.
an email or on cards handed out at the study,
have everyone write down three things you
did well and one thing you could improve on.
Don’t get defensive, but show an openness to
learn and grow.
and download any
additional notes or ideas for your session.
This doesn’t need to happen overnight, but
God’s heart is for this to happen over time.
Not all Christians are called to be leaders
or teachers, but we are all called to be
“shepherds” of a few someday.
86
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
SMALL GROUP
RESOURCES
SMALL GROUP RESOURCES
S MALL G R O UP AG R EEM ENT
Our Expectations:
To provide a predictable environment where participants experience authentic
community and spiritual growth.
Group Attendance
To give priority to the group meeting. We will call or email if we will be late or
absent. (Completing the Group Calendar will minimize this issue.)
Safe Environment
To help create a safe place where people can be heard and feel loved. (Please, no
quick answers, snap judgments, or simple fixes.)
Respect Differences
To be gentle and gracious to people with different spiritual maturity, personal
opinions, temperaments, or “imperfections” in fellow group members. We are all
works in progress.
Confidentiality
To keep anything that is shared strictly confidential and within the group, and to
avoid sharing improper information about those outside the group.
Encouragement for
Growth
To be not just takers but givers of life. We want to spiritually multiply our life by
serving others with our God-given gifts.
Shared Ownership
To remember that every member is a minister and to ensure that each attender will
share a small team role or responsibility over time (See the Team Roles).
Rotating Hosts/
Leaders and Homes
To encourage different people to host the group in their homes, and to rotate the
responsibility of facilitating each meeting. (See the Group Calendar)
Our Times Together:
s2EFRESHMENTSMEALTIMES???????????????????????????????????????????????????
s#HILDCARE?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
s7HENWEWILLMEETDAYOFWEEK????????????????????????????????????????????
s7HEREWEWILLMEETPLACE?????????????????????????????????????????????????
s7EWILLBEGINATTIME??????????????ANDENDAT?????????????????????????????
s7EWILLDOOURBESTTOHAVESOMEORALLOFUSATTENDAWORSHIPSERVICETOGETHER
/URPRIMARYWORSHIPSERVICETIMEWILLBE??????????????????????????????????????
s$ATEOFTHISAGREEMENT??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
s$ATEWEWILLREVIEWTHISAGREEMENTAGAIN??????????????????????????????????????
s7HOOTHERTHANTHELEADERWILLREVIEWTHISAGREEMENTATTHEENDOFTHIS
STUDY??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
89
90